In a Little While
by Lotuss Tears
Summary: When Elena Lays it down for Reno...It's either The Booze or Her! Reno Goes to the nearest bar...and finds help from the most unlikely source


AN: Well I'd meant to have this up earlier.but one day I was minding my own business when I was suddenly jumped and mugged by the most miserable Cold you can imagine.so here I sit sniffling away whilest I post my latest work, I want to thank everyone who read and responded so positively to my last work, and I hope you all enjoy this one.oh yes and I still don't own FF7.Right right wot wot and all that good rot.  
  
-Lotuss Tears  
  
-IN A LITTLE WHILE-  
  
"Why do you have to be such an asshole about this Reno!"  
  
She knew calling him names was bound to prolong the argument.but sometimes (More often that not as of late) that the words "Asshole" and "Reno" belonged in the same sentence.  
  
"Me? An asshole? Why do you have to be such a bitch about it! You don't know the half of it!" At the same time Reno launched his retort he knew he'd made a mistake.the open handed slap that rocked his head to the side was confirmation.  
  
Yup.he was in for it now  
  
"A BITCH!?" Elena stood with her hands on her hips, her voice rising to a pitch that would make stray dogs roll over and whimper in submission.Reno was half considering trying that tactic when the second slap caught him off guard knocking his head in the other direction.  
  
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE RENO!"  
  
Oh lord.the neighbors were getting an earful at his expense, but it was just Reno's luck that no one would be yelling or knocking on the wall telling them to shut up, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.this was doubly if not triple true when the female Ex-Turk was concerned.  
  
"Whoa.whoa.whoa.wait a minute baby.maybe I over did it there.but."  
  
"Maybe?" her voice was deadly calm.it scared him worse then when she was yelling at him "Maybe?"  
  
"Umm.I."  
  
"This is how it's going to be Reno." that deadly calm again, Reno inwardly shuddered, but at the same time he found himself falling in love with her all over again, the way she was calm and collected, not the clumsy and sometimes loud mouthed rookie she'd been before the Meteor Crisis.when had he first fallen in love with her."  
  
"You're going to leave."  
  
"What??" Reno sputtered in disbelief "Leave? Don't you think that's a little harsh Lena?"  
  
"Don't even start with that Lena crap! Don't you even try to sweet talk your way out of this!" the bitterness in her voice was beginning to bubble over the deadly calm."You're going to leave! And you're not going to come back until you've made a choice.me.or the booze Reno!"  
  
"That's not being fair!" Reno protested weakly, but already he was backing towards the door.god how he loved her.but to make him choose like this.  
  
"Don't come back until you've made up your mind.and if you make the wrong choice don't bother coming back at all!"  
  
Without realizing it Reno had backed out into the hallway, before he could even squeak the door had slammed shut in his face and the sound of a bolt slamming home told him that getting back in wasn't going to be an option any time soon.  
  
"Shit." Reno cursed softly "Women."  
  
Kicking the wall Reno turned, taking his jacket off he threw it over his shoulder and walked down the hall, it was time to do one of two things.  
  
Look for a fight.  
  
Or get shitfaced.  
  
And not necessarily in that order.  
  
--  
  
Here's to the good life or so they say  
  
All those parties and games that all those people play  
  
They tell me this is the place to be  
  
All these beautiful people and nothin' to see  
  
--  
  
Elena cried as she slammed the lock home on the door, the muffled curse on the other side told her that Reno got the point.  
  
With blurred vision she tried to watch TV.but nothing could keep her interest.so she turned to her drug of choice.  
  
"Chocolate Ice Cream" she said to herself as she headed to the freezer with a spoon.but halfway to the fridge she stopped in her tracks  
  
"No.I wont" firm Discipline kicked in.this she associated with the Turks.The Turks she associated with Reno.she was crying again before she realized it"  
  
"Why does he have to be such a narrow minded.self centered.arguementive.ASSHOLE!"  
  
But god how she loved him.when had she first fallen for Reno?  
  
Was it how he'd shocked her by letting his guard down and comforting her after Tseng had died? She'd seen a side of the fiery haired Turk that she'd never known existed, he'd even let her cry on his shoulder.  
  
Sniffling she made her way to the bathroom.filling the tub she decided that if chocolate wasn't the answer then at least a hot bubble bath would ease her mind.  
  
The Turks had inevitably Broken up after the collapse of Shinra, without the evil empire or Rufus to run it the world seemed more focused on living then dying.and perhaps it was the shove the three killers had needed to seek a different line of work, more importantly to seek out comfort in each other.  
  
Sliding into the bath Elena sighed.  
  
Reno was kind.compassionate.caring.but at least four nights out of the week he'd come home drunk, though he never raised a hand to her it made him argumentative and disagreeable as hell in the morning, why he clung to getting drunk so stubbornly almost every night was beyond her.  
  
Sighing louder Elena sunk beneath the soapy water, letting the warmth surround her.she wondered what he was doing now.  
  
--  
  
Sometimes I feel like something is gone here  
  
Something is wrong here, I don't belong here  
  
Sometimes I feel like a stranger in town  
  
And I've lost what I found, it'll all turn around  
  
--  
  
"Why doesn't she understand?" Reno asked the untouched glass in front of him.the liquid within the glass sadly didn't answer back, maybe if he drank enough of it he could just forget.find some nice alleyway to curl up in.and try his luck the next morning.  
  
Reaching for the glass his hand stopped halfway.then dropped to the polished oak surface of the bar.with a sigh of frustration he peered deeper into the glass as if the answers to his questions were contained within.  
  
"Why doesn't she understand?" he asked again, more to himself this time then the glass of untouched alcohol in front of him.  
  
Around him the bar was half crowded, the buzz of quiet conversation here and there, a low jazz tune emanating from the jukebox in the corner, no one to hear him or even answer his question  
  
Reno knew why he drank.  
  
It was a vice.that much was true.but it wasn't the worst vice he was guilty of.He could remember the exact night he'd taken his first drink.the first night he'd become a Turk.celebration of his first kill, only Reno hadn't been trying to celebrate.he'd been trying to forget, the look of shock on the thugs face as he stared up at the streetlight seeing something that no living mortal could see, Reno had shot him in the back.he stood over him watching as the light faded from the mans eyes.soon the mans gaze was vacant.Reno had felt sick.  
  
It was Rude's idea to go and get a drink "To calm his nerves" his normally quiet partner had suggested, before Reno knew it he'd been sitting at a quiet table with the drink in front of him that would soon become his best friend.it tasted like shit, but after the first glass he was buzzed.why not a second then? Couldn't hurt could it?  
  
No the second didn't hurt.as a matter of fact by the time he'd finished his third and fourth he wasn't feeling much of anything.he was king of the world.feeling no pain.  
  
Not until the next morning that was.some sort of reflex action had guided him to the toilet.Reno woke up staring at his reflection in the toilet bowl.right before he threw up.the bad taste.the pounding hangover.the fact he had to be at work in half an hour.but the man he'd killed the previous night was little more then a blur in the back of his mind.  
  
And that.as they say.was history  
  
Now Rude was gone.headed for Junon to see what kind of life he could make for himself in a world that didn't need him to kill its occupants anymore.and Reno was left staring at the bottom of his glass of beer.  
  
"Why doesn't she understand??" Reno asked himself a third time.but god how he loved her.What had it been that had driven him to comfort her after Tsengs death? Was it the fact that his Turk training hadn't managed to turn his heart into a cold block of ice.a product of the slums Reno was well aquatinted with the agonizing pain of loss.and deep down he realized that no one should have to experience the death of a loved one.  
  
At first she'd been doubtful, but her defenses had crumbled with a speed that even Reno had been surprised at.it turned out she'd actually loved Tseng, the news came as a shock to the young Turk who now found himself with the leaders role thrust on his shoulders.throwing Turk procedure and rules to the wind he'd done the most human thing he'd done in years, he'd comforted her.  
  
The Turks.though considered monsters by some where after all Human beings in the end.  
  
In the end after Shinra had crumbled to dust he and Elena had bought an apartment in the newly built Midgar, moving in together first as friends.but that had quickly blossomed into something else, forgetting their Turk past they'd focused on getting honest jobs.and slowly.ever so slowly the past had become just that.the past.  
  
Elena underneath her Turk exterior was a kind, honest, Loving Woman, she never gave him any reason to doubt her feelings for him.together they'd moved on.  
  
Or at least she had.  
  
"Why doesn't she understand?" Reno asked the mug a fourth time  
  
The fact the beer wasn't interested in talking back made him all the more frustrated  
  
--  
  
In a little while I'll be thinkin' about you  
  
In a little while I'll still be here without you  
  
You never gave me a reason to doubt you  
  
In a little while I'll be thinkin' about you baby...I'll be thinkin' about you baby  
  
--  
  
"God damn it Tifa I'm getting sick of this!" the Pilot commented as he watched Reno stare dejectedly into his beer  
  
"Why Cid I didn't know you were concerned about Reno.I guess under that gruff Exterior there's a big fluffy teddy bear underneath" Tifa said with a grin  
  
"The hell you say woman?" Cid said indignantly as he shifted the pretzel in his mouth "Teddy Bear my ass!" he took the pretzel from his mouth and blew out a breath of air.ever since he'd quit smoking he'd been irritable, shooting Tifa a mock glare Cid smiled, then turning back to Reno he narrowed his gaze, getting off his bar stool he cracked his knuckles.  
  
"Night after night he's here crying in his beer, When Elena's waiting for him back home.I can't stand to see a man make the same mistake I made with Shera all those years."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Tifa inquired with a raised eyebrow "Talk to him?"  
  
"Something like that." Cid said, calling back over his shoulder "Don't worry I'll cover the damages.you know I'm good for it"  
  
"Cid??" Tifa inquired puzzled, but the pilot was already taping Reno on the shoulder.  
  
--  
  
On the other side of a coin  
  
There's a face there's a memory somewhere that I can't erase  
  
And there's a place that I find someday  
  
But sometimes I feel like it's slippin' away  
  
Sometimes I feel like something is gone here  
  
Something is wrong here, I don't belong here  
  
Sometimes I feel like a stranger in town  
  
And I've lost what I found, it'll all turn around  
  
--  
  
"Hey Reno!" Cid said shaking the ex Turks shoulder "Snap out of it!"  
  
"The hell." Reno growled turning to see Cid of all people staring him in the face, having never been a big fan of the pilot to begin with Reno wasn't happy to be disturbed and he told Cid as much.  
  
"Piss off old man" he growled turning back to his beer.Cid however wasn't so easily put off  
  
"Well.there's some life left in you after all.thought you'd found something in the bottom of that glass."  
  
"What the hell do you want!" Reno said spinning so fast that Cid took a step back, but a grin quickly appeared on the Pilots face.  
  
"You look like a man that needs help Reno.and I'm here to do just that.give you a helping hand"  
  
"You're in no position to play shrink with me" Reno said his temper flaring "Now leave me alone.or else!"  
  
"Shrink?" Cid chuckled "Kiddo I aint here to talk to you.I'm here to kick your ass!"  
  
"Wha?" Reno began but he suddenly found himself staring up at the ceiling as Cid kicked his barstool out from under him. Hitting the floor with a loud crash Reno blinked in surprise.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" He cried out jumping to his feet "I'm going to break that pretzel in half and shove it up your."  
  
"You're all talk kiddo.just shut up and bring it" The pilot said giving Reno a come hither gesture with his middle finger, the grin on his face showed he was enjoying himself  
  
Reno growled and launched himself at Cid intent on ramming him into the bar, he tackled the pilot but Cid managed to wriggle out of his grip and Reno found himself hitting the floor face first.  
  
"C'mon Reno" Cid taunted "You're fighting like you're drunk.I could ooof!" Cid grunted as Reno's fist collided with his stomach and the breath was knocked from his lungs, Rising to his feet Reno slammed a fist into the pilots chin sending the older man crashing to the floor.  
  
"Cid!" Tifa cried out as the pilot hit the floor, but to her surprise the pilot was back on his feet in an instant  
  
"It's ok Tifa." he said spitting a bit of blood on the floor "We're just getting warmed up aren't we Reno?"  
  
"Shut it!" Reno growled advancing on Cid, throwing another punch he was surprised when the pilot ducked out of the way, grabbing Reno's out stretched arm he bent it behind the mans back and slammed his head onto the bar.  
  
"Story time" Cid said leaning down so Reno could hear his words "Once upon a time there was a grumpy old man.Smoked too much.didn't have many friends.but he had one friend who stood by him no matter what.no matter how many times he treated her like shit.she stood by his side"  
  
"The hell!" Reno said struggling against Cid's grip but to no avail  
  
"Shut up kiddo I'm talking here" Cid said slapping Reno on the back of his head "Now like I was saying.no matter how many times the grumpy old man treated his friend like shit she never turned her back on him.Now the grumpy old man thought she was pretty stupid to take all the abuse.but then the world came pretty god damn close to ending.the grumpy old man saw everything he loved almost go up in smoke.including his friend"  
  
As Cid spoke he relaxed his grip, Reno though half listening had been waiting for the opportunity, throwing his head back he connected with the pilots face, with a grunt of pain Cid let go, Reno spun out of the pilots reach, grabbing a beer bottle he smashed it on the bar and held the jagged end towards Cid.  
  
"Put that down you pussy" Cid growled shaking the cobwebs out of his head "Fore you cut yourself"  
  
"What the hell is your point!" Reno growled lowering the bottle ever so slightly  
  
"I was just getting to the damned point" Cid said "Fact is Reno.you don't know what you got till you lose it.When I got off the highwind in Rocket Town I marched my ass right to my house, got down on one knee and told shera how sorry I was.then I gave her the biggest damn diamond ring and asked her to make me the luckiest man on earth!"  
  
Puzzled Reno let the bottle fall to the floor  
  
"She took one look at me and told me it was about damned time.she'd marry me but on one condition."  
  
Suddenly Reno lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Cid he tackled him to the floor, distracted this time Cid couldn't wriggle out, with aloud crash they went through one of the many tables set up throughout the bar.Reno grabbed Cid by the collar.  
  
"So she'd marry you.what's the point!" He growled  
  
"The point is you impatient asshole.that she told me I'd have to quit smoking before she'd say yes!" Cid said struggling against Reno's grip. "Now how the hell do you think I felt about that? Smoking may have been my one way trip to an early grave, and yeah it was in my best interest to quit.but shit man I'd been doing it for years.it was a vice but it was MY vice god damn it!"  
  
Reno's grip suddenly relaxed as what Cid was saying began to dawn on him  
  
"Yeah.starting to get through your thick head aint it?" Cid said looking up at Reno "Fact is I didn't want to give up smoking.it was a part of me.I'd known smoking longer then I'd known Shera! But you know what?"  
  
"What?" Reno said  
  
Suddenly Cid brought his head up and connected with Reno's face, losing his grip and cursing Reno found the tables turned as Cid was holding him by the shirt collar and glaring down at him.  
  
"I loved Shera more then anything in the world.and in the end I realized I didn't need those cancer sticks after all.why do you think I walk around with a fucking pretzel in my mouth looking like an asshole!" Cid chuckled "Because I love Shera!" Pointing to the glass on the bar Cid looked back and growled at Reno "You don't need to piss your life away drinking that shit! You've got a lot of years a head of you.you get what I'm saying Reno?"  
  
Reno's head was beginning to ache, he was pretty sure he was going to have a black eye to accompany the head racking pain.but the words had sunk in.  
  
"Yeah.Yeah I know what you mean" he said his voice humbled "I've got to get my shit together."  
  
"Damn right" Cid said standing up with a groan and holding out his hand to Reno, after a moments pause the Ex Turk took the hand and allowed himself to be helped to his feet, staring the pilot in the eye he spoke.  
  
"I guess I owe you a thank you.but you're not going to get it.it's not my style"  
  
Cid chuckled  
  
"Just go home to Elena.and don't let me catch you here again"  
  
But Reno was already out the door.  
  
--  
  
Some things are lost some left behind  
  
Some things are better left for someone else to find  
  
Maybe in time I can finally see  
  
I just wonder, wonder if you think about me  
  
Sometimes I feel like something is gone here  
  
Something is wrong here, I don't belong here  
  
Sometimes I feel like a stranger in town  
  
And I've lost what I found, it'll all turn around  
  
--  
  
Reno cursed as he was met by the click of the lock still in place, Elena had probably figured he'd go get drunk and fall asleep in a gutter somewhere, then again until Cid's intervention that had been Reno's plan to begin with, but now.getting inside was Reno's top priority.  
  
Besides, it wasn't like a locked door was going to keep Reno out of any place he wanted to be, sliding a small leather pouch from his pocket he went about picking the lock, Maybe Elena would be mad, but he was willing to risk it, and as the door popped open he found himself with a smile on his face, sliding the pouch back into his pocket Reno entered the apartment and shut the door behind him.  
  
The apartment was dark, the only light he could see was a dim light spilling out from under the crack of the bedroom door, making his way towards the light, heart beating hard in his chest, Reno slowly reached out and turned the knob.  
  
The door opened without a sound, Reno silently thanked Elena for not locking this door as well.  
  
Elena was curled up into a tight ball on the bed, clad in a black silk robe she looked like a disheveled but beautiful angel, her cheeks were stained with tears, a sight which broke Reno's heart for a moment, approaching the bed he leaned down and ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead her eyes snapped open.  
  
"R-Reno?" she asked sleepily  
  
"Yeah.it's me babe" he said sitting down on the edge of the bed  
  
"Reno." Elena said sitting up suddenly "Look maybe I was a little too hard on you tonight.I."  
  
Cutting her off he placed a finger on her lips, as he leaned in to kiss her forehead Elena noticed the bruise over his eye and his roughed up appearance  
  
"Reno!" she said in alarm "What happened to you?" her fingers caressing the bruise over his eye ever so gently  
  
"I got some sense knocked into me" Reno said with a small smile "You said just what I needed to hear tonight Elena.It's time I got my shit in order.and well.I want to say.I'm sorry"  
  
The smile on her face was worth the pain he was feeling from Cid's "Intervention"  
  
"Oh Reno.I'm sorry to.I know being a Turk isn't something you want to remember every day.I understand why you'd want to drink it out of your mind."  
  
Again he cut her off, leaning in he pressed his lips to hers, Elena was at first startled but then she gave in, responding eagerly against his lips, slowly Reno's hand traveled down her robe, untying it he slid it off her and climbed into bed with her.  
  
"We can talk in the morning" he said with a smile "I can think of other things I'd like to do now.some involving handcuffs" he chuckled  
  
Elena smiled reaching into the bedside dresser drawer, withdrawing the said handcuffs she dangled them in Reno's face  
  
"Well then what are you waiting for? An invitation?" she purred in his ear  
  
Reaching over Reno shut off the bedroom light, the room plunged into darkness.  
  
He didn't answer her.after all there really wasn't anything more that words could say.  
  
The clicking of the metal handcuffs into place spoke louder then any words could anyway.  
  
--  
  
-FIN- 


End file.
